After five minutes with Emily Atack, I feel like we’re best friends already. She’s funny, self-deprecating and incredibly open – which she tells me is sometimes her downfall. ‘I have this terrible thing where I can’t help but be honest,’ the 29-year-old actress and I’m A Celebrity alumna concedes. Her new book – which she describes as a ‘jumble’ of her thoughts, stories and childhood - encapsulates this. It’s a sparky, stream of consciousness that really has no limits. So when you read Are We There Yet?, you’ll feel like you’re best friends with her too.
What is your book about?
It’s a mix between a biography and a memoir – I'm calling it a jumble. A jumbled insight into my mind. So what I think about certain things that have happened to me, how I got through them, and how I just learned to laugh some of them off. There are stories from my childhood and how I feel about being a curvy girl in the industry. What I've always thought about being blonde with big boobs and how that's kind of affected my life. Then there’s boozing, partying. It's like you are sat opposite me on the train and I'm just talking at you for a couple of hours.
I'm a very open book. When I came out the jungle, the main thing people kept saying to me was that they how open and honest I was. I'm not gonna stop now, just because I have a tiny bit of success.
How was the writing process?
I went out and bought my first ever laptop. I went to Argos and bought the shittest laptop you have ever seen in your life. It’s massive - it looks like it's from the 80s or something.
I was sat on the train and I just started writing. And once I started, I couldn't stop.
What inspired you?
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton. I loved it, just like everyone else, it's such a simple concept - just a bright woman talking about what she feels about love, life and relationships. It just resonated with me so much. I drew a lot of inspiration from that. I wanted to keep it simple - so write about things that mean a lot to me and that I could talk about forever. And love is definitely part of that.
Stuff that I would talk about when I sit down with a friend and a glass of wine. I can talk about the stuff that stuff for hours. So I wrote a book just about all those things.
What was the hardest part to write?
There was quite a lot really. I had to do an audio book the other day and read it back, which was difficult. There's a lot of heart-breaking heartbreak, not just with relationships, but with the breakdown of my family, my parents’ divorce. Even though my family are best friends now and we're really close, there were bumpy years in between.
There were a lot of things that really affected me and still affect me. I found that when I when I wrote about my brother or my sister or anything to do with my family, I just started sobbing.
Did you find that writing was helpful and cathartic?
Yeah, really. I think when you see something written down, you read back and acknowledge the fact you have been through something really difficult. I've been in therapy now for a few years. Therapy helps you realise that, but seeing it down in your own words and then sharing it with a lot of people, it's definitely going to be quite challenging. But I feel quite dignified with it, just coming out and being honest. It's stuff i'm not ashamed of, it's stuff that I can't change. I think it's quite self-indulgent reallt, but I'm just very much going through a phase in my life at the moment where we're just like, this is me, and if you don't like it, there is nothing much you can do about it.
Were you nervous for your parents or your family reading it?
Yeah, I was actually and I was very careful and cautious because I didn't want to upset anybody. I didn’t want to paint anyone in a particularly bad light. But I spoke all about it and what was going in with my friends and family and they're fine with it. They’re very open people as well – they’re like me. It’s interesting for them to see my take on it my side of how I felt about things. And there's actually a chapter written by my sister – which shows her point of view and what it's like being my sister. That in itself was so interesting for me to read. I read it for the first time when I did the audiobook, and it's so mental to read. There was loads of things I didn’t know she felt. We are all learning something with this book really. Even me.
What do you think of the acting world now?
I think there's a long way to go when it comes to diversity. But I do think that it is a million times better than what it was. And I think there's always room for improvement, we can always do better. I think the industry is getting better after MeToo - people are shitting themselves now and realising they can't get away with shitty behaviour, like they used to, which is a great thing. I hope curvier actresses will be considered for lead roles and fronting drama sitcoms. I would like to see curvier women on telly, not just playing the ‘fat, funny’ roles, you know? I'd like to see curvier girls in more serious roles. There's always room for improvement there. The acting industry is always something that I have passion for. It's interesting seeing how it's evolving.
Do you think that you'd like to go into writing sitcoms and casting curvier girls?
Yeah, absolutely. I'm really learning that it’s helpful to write about a situation you're frustrated with. For example, I just said want to see curvy women in more lead roles, then there’s just something in my head that says ‘well write it then.’ Everybody that struggles in this industry should turn around and write a show based on that. Look at what James Corden did, he said that he was too large to be playing the lead roles. So he created a role for himself. I think it's all about creating your own niche. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, she's a classic example. The most successful people at the moment are creating clever niches. So instead of sitting around, moaning that there's not enough this and that - create it yourself! You never know people might like it and relate to it.
What's next for you?
I'm going to get through Australia first, get through Christmas and then I’m potentially filming something that I've written myself. I can't give too many details on it but it's something that I've written and picked up a lot of attention. People are interested and I’m hopefully filming the pilot in January!
Are We There Yet? To Indignity . . . and Beyond! is out now